Consider Cruiseport

Ladies, I attended my niece's wedding at Cruiseport on Saturday. Unbelievable in EVERY detail. They had Vinwood catering, the food( apps, antipasto, filet and lobster for dinner) was to die for. The venue is gorgeous. I have NO idea what it cost, I would guess $$$, but if you're a North Shore bride and looking, look no further. Lots of hotels on the water about 6 minutes from venue for your guests. My husband, not usually enthusiastic about weddings, said it was the best he'd ever attended.

I was so glad to hear your good review of Cruiseport Gloucester. My daughter is getting married there next year and we loved it as soon as we saw it. My daughter is having her ceremony there also. I am a little concerned about the set up for the ceremony since they do not have an outdoor area or separate room, the ceremony will be in the same room as the reception. I am thinking of getting panels to block off the sight of tables pushed to the side but need to speak to them further to get a better understanding of how they do it. Did your niece have her ceremony there? If she did, how was it?

Not sure who your coordinator is but if it is Tammy she is absolutely fabulous. She used to work at The Commons in Topsfield for many years, my daughter's wedding was her last one their. You would be really lucky to have her. She keeps everyone calm and is so helpful. I would ask for her if she is available.

At Cruiseport, you do choose your own caterer. We have Vinwood Caterers and I have heard nothing but fantastic reviews for them. We are also considering having the filet and lobster. It is costly as far as the fee for the venue but I have found that for all that we want, Vinwood Caterers is reasonable.

We do have Tammy as our wedding coordinator and she has been very helpful to my daughter in regards to finding hotels in the area for our guests. As I mentioned in my previous post, my concern is the ceremony there and the set up for it, so I will be calling her to meet with her regarding that since I have to rent panels if needed.

I was so glad to hear your good review of Cruiseport Gloucester. My daughter is getting married there next year and we loved it as soon as we saw it. My daughter is having her ceremony there also. I am a little concerned about the set up for the ceremony since they do not have an outdoor area or separate room, the ceremony will be in the same room as the reception. I am thinking of getting panels to block off the sight of tables pushed to the side but need to speak to them further to get a better understanding of how they do it. Did your niece have her ceremony there? If she did, how was it?Posted by italianqueen

No, she was married at a church in town. I'm sure considering how smoothly and efficiently everything was done there, they have something in place. The function room(s) is magnificent. My niece married into an Italian family. They used the band Italian Connection who were awesome.In fact, I'm still hearing "che la luna" in my head almost a week later! The antipasto and roasted garlic ravioli were just amazing. They took some group pictures in the back near the Cruiseport Gloucester sign, which wasn't the most inspiring backdrop, but there are so many beautiful beachside areas in Gloucester to take pictures. Her pictures( done by Adriao Batti) are just magnificent!

At Cruiseport, you do choose your own caterer. We have Vinwood Caterers and I have heard nothing but fantastic reviews for them. We are also considering having the filet and lobster. It is costly as far as the fee for the venue but I have found that for all that we want, Vinwood Caterers is reasonable. We do have Tammy as our wedding coordinator and she has been very helpful to my daughter in regards to finding hotels in the area for our guests. As I mentioned in my previous post, my concern is the ceremony there and the set up for it, so I will be calling her to meet with her regarding that since I have to rent panels if needed. Posted by italianqueen

We stayed at Gloucester Inn by the Sea, which isn't fancy, but with an amazing ocean view. Other people stayed at Bass Rocks Inn, which was just beautiful, outside at least( I didn't see the inside. That was definitely fancier than Gloucester Inn, but for a place to change and crash, it was fine.

I'm not getting married at Cruiseport, but at my food tasting for a different caterer, I met with 2 Cruiseport brides. They told me that starting next year Cruiseport is exclusively going with Vinwood as their caterer. I have heard good things about them, but the 2 other brides told me that they dont offer food tastings. Vinwood told the brides that they rely solely on their reputation. For someone who is not from the North Shore and hasn't been to a wedding with Vinwood as a caterer, I thought this was tacky. I personally wouldn't decide on a caterer based on their reputation alone.